Most perfumes contain a high percentage of alcohol. To make a perfume one actually mixes alcohol with perfume oils and distilled water. For example most full perfumes are made of about 20% perfume oils. A cologne has somewhere around 8% perfume oils. The rest of amount is alcohol with water, or carrier oil, with the proportions decided on the basis of what kind of perfume one wants to make. However, alcohol is an essential constituent of perfumes, with percentages raging from 50 – 80(% of alcohol).

Alcohol, when applied to the skin, causes photosensitivity in the area, meaning that it makes the skin more sensitive when it is exposed to sun-light. This can result in accelerated burning of the skin (sunburn) and skin problems such as rash, and hyper-pigmentation.

Some people apply perfume behind their ears. For the reasons mentioned above, over time, they usually end up with a distinctive brown discoloration (what is called as hyper-pigmentation) in this area. Also, for those who spray their perfume onto their décolleté – this too results in multiple brown discolorations in this area, especially when in summer they are wearing a low neck-line.

So now that you are aware of the damage that your perfume does onto your skin, avoid applying perfume to skin which is exposed to sunlight. Also, to help prevent hyper-pigmentation, make sure that you are constantly applying sunscreen to your face and also décolleté.